Frail pensioners missed their Christmas dinner because a broken lift left them trapped in their Belfast apartments.

Others living on the top floor of the Radius Housing independent living block had to be carried down stairs by family.

Some had to crawl up the stairs on their hands and knees after getting home from celebrations.

“Our lift has been broken since Christmas Eve and people have been stuck in their apartments and they haven’t been able to get out over Christmas,” said resident Jim Hunter.

“There are 40 people living here at the minute.”

Angry and upset residents of Inverary Fold, off Belfast’s Old Holywood Road, said they first told Radius the lift was broken on Christmas Eve.

But the only elevator in the two-story block was still broken today, Friday, December 29.

“We’ve had two different people who have had to crawl up the stairs to get home,” Jim explained.

A notice on the lift in Inverary Fold

“There are quite a few people who are in wheelchairs and they just can’t walk and some even missed their Christmas dinner.”

Patricia Brady told Belfast Live her husband James, 89, was discharged from hospital just before Christmas and it’s a real struggle for her to help him up and down stairs.

“I depend on the lift to get my husband around,” she said.

“He’s 89-years-old and he’s only out of the hospital.

“But my husband is not the only one.”

James added: "It was really difficult. It took me a quarter of an hour to get down the stairs."

Gloria Leicester said she was lucky enough because her daughter and granddaughter were able to help her down stairs.

From left, Patricia and James Brady, Norman Witterworth and Gloria Leicester say the broken lift makes them feel like they're in a prison

But she added that it was “a real hassle” and took her 20 minutes because she uses a walking stick for her arthritis.

“Ethel uses crutches and she had to crawl up the stairs on her hands and knees. It’s ridiculous,” another resident added.

“Gladys is wheelchair bound with ME and when her granddaughter came to get her she realised she couldn’t get her out.

“She cancelled her carers and all for tea time but couldn’t take her out because she couldn’t get her down the stairs.

“Winnie was supervised and would have needed a person behind and one in front to get out.

“There was a whole lot of people in here that wasn’t going out. I was going to have Christmas Dinner down here [a common room] and I invited the people who weren’t going out to come,” she said.

“They couldn’t get down and we had to carry dinners up. That was Christmas ruined.”

Patricia said the whole situation has made residents feel like they are “in a prison” in their over 55s accommodation.

Gloria was able to get out, but it was a struggle

“Radius have done nothing,” added Jim.

“They're out gritting the roads on Christmas Day and they couldn’t get this fixed?” asked Jim Reilly.

The 83-year-old former ambulance worker hasn’t been out of his apartment since Christmas Eve because he can’t use the stairs.

“I was very disappointed on Christmas Day when my daughter came down from Dundonald,” he said.

“She doesn’t drive and paid a double fare taxi. There was a wee meal down stairs and four or five people were going down there.

“I could have got down in the lift, but because it was broken I am stuck here at the moment.

Former ambulance worker Jim Reilly can't use stairs and has been trapped since Christmas Eve

“This is supposed to be independent living but it doesn’t feel like that.

“It’s been a terrible inconvenience over Christmas. It’s supposed to be an emergency and they haven’t done much.”

An engineer arrived to look at the lift while Belfast Live was visiting residents.

Residents were told the parts needed will not be available until Tuesday - nine days after the lift stopped working.

“It just ruined the whole of Christmas for a lot of people in here,” Jim added.

A spokesperson for Radius Housing said: “Our lift maintenance contractor visited the site on Christmas Eve and advised us that they have ordered a replacement part but due to holidays it has taken longer than anticipated to source.

Sticker over the lift buttons

“A second lift contractor is visiting the site at present to see if they can expedite a repair as soon as possible.

“Radius regrets any inconvenience the breakdown may have caused to residents.”